Monday, September 15, 2008

Heaven in The Symmetry

Do you see heaven in the symmetry of a spider's web? The spider I found inside the screen the other day found its way outside the screen and back on my blog today. Shameless orchard spider!

Today, after checking in with my new orchard specialist, I found a lot of fives around the garden and wondered about the significance of that particular number.

I found this site in my search, and it has a few interesting things to say on the subject.

I recently planted some Pentas in pots and in the flower beds to add some color and butterfly attraction to my world at the moment. For some reason, I have never grown these flowers before in my garden. I was curious about them so I did a bit of looking on the Web. I learned a few tips from another site I found.

Even the common Vinca, which self-sows freely in my garden, wants to count, by fives.

Mexican petunias are giving me something to smile about. They are filling in the bare spots where other, fussier plants have failed to perform. Other gardeners may not like them for what might be considered invasive behavior, but I give them free rein in my garden. I like their five-petaled flowers too. The hummingbirds like to pay them a visit and take a sip from their trumpet-like blossoms now and then.

We went bowling last night after supper, and Micah wanted to run about freely. Unfortunately for him, there are rules in place that do not allow that sort of behavior. He is so young, energetic, and curious about everything, he cannot help but defy those rules and orders to be obeyed and keeps us busy running after him. Luckily, there were five of us adults present to watch him and scoop him up when he just could not sit still any longer.

When I was searching on the Web for the significance of five, I came across some other nuggets of wisdom. One of the sites explores a book with which I am intimately familiar and what it has to say about the significance of numbers. Plato was another fellow who decided the number five was pretty special. He wondered a lot about divine subjects too.

20 comments:

Thank you, Tina. Micah (16 months) is learning to count, and we like to play those silly counting games on his fingers and toes. The spider now has its official name in place and has been installed on my sidebar.

Hi, TC, and thanks for all of your comments. I guess five was on my mind a lot today as I scanned the garden, looking for Spidey. We have lived here in Florida for five years, and in five days I will be back in Illinois with my husband. Looking back, looking forward, and counting down the days...

Spiders are indeed fascinating creatures. I've been looking in vain this fall for an orb spider, but have yet to spot one here.Five seems to be one of those magical numbers like three and 12 that recur throughout life and literature. Enjoyed your poem!The Dickinson poem is one of my favorites--it really fits the praying mantis.

Rose, if the spider in my garden lays her eggs before I have to leave, I could ship you some. I wonder what the gestation period is for spiders? You're right about the mantis. Spidey has stolen the limelight, and I think mantis is jealous. To retaliate, he has acquired an insatiable appetite for lovable critters like butterflies and bees, according to Fishing Guy.

Thank you, Marnie. Nature has been kind to me so far, and I guess it's because I'm such an odd number. ;>}

Hello, Fishing Guy! I wish there was a way to attach a monitoring device on the critters we capture on camera so we could follow them over a period of time. It sure would be more interesting than any other reality show I've ever seen.

W2W, beautiful post and I love the title. The spinybacked orbweaver is really cute and I'm glad it's been identified. The fun of blogging...I'm even learning the names of certain plants that I've had for years but never found out their names!The poem is lovely too!

Hi, Kanak. I agree, most of the fun in gardening for me is learning something new about a particular plant or insect. I never realized before I started blogging that there were so many people who share the same peculiar trait. When I saw the spider outside today on its web, it seemed unperturbed, yet somehow gratified, by all the fuss being made over it. It continues to smile at me.

Hi, Michelle. Did you click on Annie's link in my last post? It's very informative and even has a link to a video of the spider preparing a meal, complete with music. I find that the best way to get over your fear of spiders is to blog about them. It's the latest cure and cheaper than psychotherapy.

Dear Walk2write,So glad Spidey has a name. I will be looking for one in my gardens. I do like spiders and all the bugs. One of the joys of blogging is learning. I love knowing the names of the different bugs and blooms and birds.Thank you too for the links. Lots of info and fun!May the bugs be with you.Namaste,Sherry

Mom, you are right. I feel challenged everyday to provide some tiny reflection of heaven in my own eyes for my kids and grandchild to see. It's not an easy thing to do when there is a lot of inner turmoil or worry but oh so necessary.

Thanks, Q, for your wish and blessings. I am learning to live with the "bugs." Although they have not always seemed kind or gentle to me (think termites, fire ants, mosquitos, stinging wasps...), I keep trying to remember it was their world first, and they are just doing what they were created to do. There just might be a lesson in it somehow for me.

Thanks, Sarah. I am finally getting to the point in my life where, like it or not, I have to slow down. Now I am seeing things--though the old eyes might need a stronger prescription this year--with a fresh perspective through the eyes of my grandson. My life and its impact on everything it touches are coming into focus for me.

Annie, thanks so much for the information you passed on to me about the spider. Maybe studying things like the teacup phenomenon would help explain anomalies like the ever-widening trade deficit we are now experiencing. We Westerners can learn a lot from the observant Eastern cultures' attention to nature's lessons.

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